Machine fok grinding axle housings



R. e. STR'AIT April 20, 1954 MACHINE FOR GRINDING AXLE HOUSINGS OR THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 9, 1953 April 20, 1954 R, STRAIT 2,675,655

MACHINE FOR GRINDING AXLE HOUSINGS OR THE LIKE Filed March 9, 1953 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 414 ,45 W 4 51 I WNW/4 /%w'/ 6632;?

ijjj 2? BY M UQ ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 20, 1954 UNET ED" STATES ENT OFFICE Robert. G. Strait, Nor-walk, Ohio ApplicationMarch 9, 1953, SerialNo. 340,994-

7 Glaims; 1'?

'Bhi's invention relates to a machine for grind-'- ing axle housihgsor: the-like.

A- primary objector the-invention is-to provide a grindingmachine which is adapted tobe removably mounted on an axle housing or the like incentered relation" thereto and which includes a grinding tool rotatahleabout the-axisof the housing; and wherein the mountingprovides for automatic movement-of th grinding tool axially of the housing upon: said rotation thereof about the axis of thehousinga A further object of the invention isto provide a grinding machine of the tool noted: and of the same: general charactexrwherein said grinding tool'iis-i'n theformioftaawheel, and thesame machine being characterizedrby apower driven shaft disposableparallei to": the axis of: the housing and said; shaft being'elongated and: having cooperatiIlg-r means: for selective attachment. of a. grindingwhcelito-either end thereof;

A still; further object: of the invention. is: to provide at grinding. machine;- of. the above noted general character: which comprisesimproved means for mounting thereof: oniaxlez. housings of different conformations and in true centered relatiomtheretm Qtiier objectsranch advantages of the invention Willi beoomeapparent in theecourse:of the followingrdetailcd; description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein- 1; is aview'partially I in plan. and. partially in; anctidisclosing; the. improved: grinding machin ginz accordance. with: a preferred structural embodiment thereof.

Fig; z-isanreleuational-viem as observed from theright'side of Fig. 1..

Eig;.3. iszavicm corresponding: to: Fig. 1, but on a smaller scale and showingthe. application of themachine to;an: axle housing.

Fig; 4.: is s an enlarged. transverse sectional: view as; observed in the plane ofline 4:4 on. Fig. 1'.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, l9 designates? a--. pivot? shaft; which; adjacent. one end thereof is. provided, with; a bore.- H: in communication-with a co-ax-ialt-bore: I 2: of greater diameter and-.which-latterbore opens-intoa-relatively short bore lion stillrg-reater. diameter and; which. opens throughthe. opposite end, of theshaft.

The pivot shaft. lllis adapted to,be.secured to the, end or anaxlehousingI-I (Fig.3) and means are provided .theref 011.. Such.- means. comprises.. a support-member I4. of. generally cupr-formand including, a. base anda circumferential 1 flange.

I61 The. base portion is provided with a centraltappedopening I 1 into which an externally threaded reduced endportion I8' of the: shaft: I41

isthread'ed.

The base It of. the support. member is pmvided with a plurality'ofad'justing-screws l'flf fm a purpose later to appear and the circumferential flange H5 is provided with a plu l ty' ally: disposed adjusting screws 28, also fora punpose'la-ter to appear.

Analignrnent pin 2! has one. endthereofadiS posed within the bore H and the major: portion.

56 for rotation about the axis thereof; 'lhe-cyle inder- 2% adjacent the outer end thereofis/ provided with a'lock screw 21 whose inner end coop eratesv with the Wall of acircular groove 28 in. a hub 29 of a feed handle or knob 38.

One end. of a feed screw 31 is securedtohnob as by means of a screw t2: andthefeedrscrewcooperates with a nut. 33. which. is pressed intothe; shaft bore l3 and the' major portionof. the feed screw operates withinthe shaftbore- [-2.

The bracketzfi. furtherincludes a-pair of arms 36. which projectfrom the cylinder 26 adjacent opposite ends and at rightangles toythe axis thereof The. arms 34 are each provided withapair of spaced apertures 35 with those inone arm axially alignedwith those in the other. Furthermore, thearms .34 are each provided with a s1ot 36- open. ing through thefree, end thereof and bisecting the respective apertures 3 5.

The. arms. 35.. are each further. provided; witha screw. 31. extending. through. same. intermedie ate their respective apertures 35, the screw being. provided. withv a. head 33. diametrically through which projects a. screw manipulating. pin. 39.

Apair of supporting shafts 40 extend. through. the aligned apertures 35.." and, are. mounted for axial adjustment through theinstrumentality of the slotstt and screws .31.

The shafts lfl in actualpractice. are longer. than a shown. in Figs. L and 3.- and while the break. in..such. shafts is shown intermediate the arms 34, thepurpose thereof is to show=the free ends of the shafts.

The opposite ends of the shafts 40 have reduced extensions 4i extending through and suitably secured in apertures 42 in a web 53 depending from a plate 45.

A plate 45 is adjustably supported on the plate 44 in a direction transverse to the axes of shafts 45 and such adjustment is preferably effected as follows. The plate 55 is guidingly supported on the plate 55 by means of side bars 46 suitably secured to plate 55 and lapping opposite edges of the plate 44 and bars 4? secured to bars 46 lap the under side of plate 45 adjacent the opposite edges thereof.

An adjustment screw 43 has one end thereof swivelly connected to plate 55 and as at 49, and the screw is threadedly engaged within a tapped aperture in a depending flange 55 of the plate 45.

The screw 48 is provided with a manipulating handle or knob 5| by rotation of which in one or an opposite direction the plate 45 is moved toward or away from the axis of pivot shaft ID.

The adjustable plate 45 terminates in a cylinder 52 in which is supported a spindle housing 53 as by means of screws 54.

An elongated spindle 55 is rotatably supported in ball bearing assemblies 55 disposed within the housing 53 adjacent the opposite ends thereof.

A pulley 5? is secured to the spindle outwardly of one of the bearing assemblies 56 as by means of a screw 58 and a spindle cap 59 is engaged with the spindle outwardly of the other hearing assembly.

The pulley 5'17 and cap 58 have jointed connections 55' with opposite ends of the housing 53 for protection of the bearing assemblies.

The spindle 55 is double ended and is adapted for attachment of a grinding wheel 65 to either end thereof. For this purpose, a flange 6! is provided for each end of the spindle and a grinding wheel 65 may be locked on the spindle at either end thereof by the corresponding flange and a nut 62.

' The detail construction of the machine having been described, the assembly thereof with the work to be ground and the operation thereof will now be described.

Preparatory to a grinding operation on a worn portion of an axle housing H on which a bearing is to be installed, the pivot shaft Iii is placed in vertical position with the reduced threaded end portion I8 uppermost.

The support member is is next threaded on to the end portion i8 with bore ll communicating with the interior of the support member. Thereafter, the alignment plate 22 is placed within the support member. The wheel nut N is then placed on top of the alignment plate after which is placed one of the alignment cones 23 or 24 in the center of the nut, the particular cam used depending upon the size of the nut N.

After the positioning of the cone within the nut, the alignment pin 2| is centered through aligned apertures in the cam and alignment plate and into the bore I I.

The adjustin screws 2!] are then turned to position their inner ends in contact with the walls of the nut after which they are firmly turned into nut locking position, the screws l9 are also drawn into firm contact with plate 22.

With the nut N thus securely positioned centrally of the support member 1 5, the nut is turned onto the threaded end T of the axle housing H with the pivot shaft l5 axially aligned therewith.

The remainder of this grinding machine can then be readily assembled with the pivot shaft It by telescoping the cylinder 26 of the bracket 25 over the pivot shaft and then turning the feed screw 5| into nut 33 by means of the knob 30 after which the lock screw 21 is adjusted to a position with its inner end in groove 28.

It is to be understood that the grinding wheel 50 at one or the other end of the spindle 55 is power driven as by means of a motor 'suitably mounted on plate 45 and having a belt drive connection 5i with the pulley 57 as indicated in Fig. 3.

With reference to Fig. 3 it is to be observed that the areas on the axle housing H desired to be ground are designated B-l and B-2 or those areas in which a new bearing is to be installed.

Assuming that the area B-| is to be ground, the knob 5! will be turned to bring the power driven grinding wheel at the left end of spindle into contact with the surface of said area and in the event that it is desired to position the wheel further to the right than the feed screw 3! will permit, the screws 37 may be loosened and the shafts 35 shifted in the bracket 25. This shifting may be particularly desired if the wheel 50 at the left end of the spindle is to be used to grind the inner bearing area B-Z.

Furthermore, the bracket 25 and therewith the grinding wheel may be shifted axially of the shaft [0 upon loosening screw 21 and turning the knob 3!] after which the screw 21 is tightened to lock the bracket 25 for rotation with the feed screw.

With the grinding wheel 65 positioned say to the right hand edge of the bearing area 3-! and set into grinding operation, the operator will grasp the bracket 25 as by means of one of the shafts 55 and swing the bracket and grinding wheel assembly circumferentially about the pivot shaft H] in a counter-clockwise direction and with the feed screw 3| locked to the bracketby screw 21 the bracket and grinding wheel will be moved to the left simultaneously with the revolution of the rotating wheel about the area B-l.

When the grinding wheel reaches the left edge of area 3-5 the bracket 25 will be rotated clockwise for travel of the grinding wheel from'the left edge to the right edge of the area being ground.

Of course, it is to be understood that the knob 5i is constantly urged in a turning direction to keep the wheel 65 in firm grindin contact with the surface being ground.

To grind the area 3-2 the grinding wheel 60 may be locked on the right hand end of the spindle 55 and the grinding operation carried out as above described.

Havin set forth my invention in accordance with a preferred structural embodiment thereof,

what I claim and desire tosecure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

l. A machine for grinding cylindrical surfaces on an axle housing, comprising a pivot shaft, means on one end of the pivot shaft for rigidly securing same to the end of the axle housing, a bracket including a cylinder rotatably surrounding the pivot shaft and a pair of spaced parallel arms projecting radially therefrom, said arms having two pairs of axially aligned apertures therein adjacent their free ends, a pair of spaced shafts extending through said apertures in parallel relation to said pivot shaft, means adjustably securing the shafts in said apertures, a

plate rigidly supported by corresponding ends of the shafts, a second plate supported on said first plate for adjustment in directions at right angles to said pivot shaft, and a power driven grinding wheel assembly on said last plate.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said first means comprises a cup-shaped support for receiving the nut on the end of the housing, an alignment plate within the support engageable with the outer face of the nut, adjusting screws in the rim of said cup-shaped support engageable with the side faces of the nut, and adjusting screws in the base of the support engageable with the alignment plate.

3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said pivot shaft is provided with a bore extending axially therethrough, a feed screw disposed within said bore, a connection between said screw and said cylinder, and a nut rigidly supported within the pivot shaft having screw thread engagement with said feed screw.

4. The structure according to claim 3, wherein said connection between said screw and cylinder comprises a hand manipulatable knob rigidly secured to the outer end of the feed screw and an adjustable lock screw extending through a wall of the cylinder with its inner end disposed within a circumferential groove in said knob.

5. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said second means comprises a slot opening through the free end of each arm and bisecting the respective apertures, and an adjustable screw extending through each arm intermediate said shafts for binding same within said apertures.

6. The structure according to claim 1 wherein said adjustment of said second plate is provided by a screw having one end thereof swivelly supported in said first plate and a flange on said second plate having a threaded aperture through which the screw extends.

7. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said grinding wheel assembly comprises an elongated housing, an elongated spindle rotatably journalled in axially spaced bearings in said housing, and means on each end of said spindle for securing a grinding wheel thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 180,006 Coplin July 18, 1876 259,727 Smith June 20, 1882 690,878 Roan Jan. 7, 1902 1,326,091 Porter Dec. 23, 1919 4,717,345 Ripley June 11, 1929 1,857,873 Ross May 10, 1932 2,016,57d Myers Oct. 8, 1935 2,297,074 Bohrdauce Sept. 29, 1942 2,465,599 Diarmid Mar. 29, 1949 

